Megan Trainor – Thank You

R&B/Soul

With her 2014 smash tune All About That Bass, she defied expectations and became an overnight sensation a few months later with her first album Title, which had a string of doo-wop-inspired hits that peaked at number 40 on the charts, including Dear Future Husband and Lips Are Movin. Trainor, the recent Grammy winner for best new artist, has turned the music industry on its head once more with her sophomore album Thank You For the album, Trainor completely altered her image and sound and achieved another massive smash with the girl-power anthem No.

Trainor stated to Time going into this album that she wants to be the female Bruno Mars, a multi-genre artist who can “successfully do them all.” This goal is evident from the outset of the positive lead single Watch Me Do, as she nonchalantly pseudo-raps about self-assurance and her rigorous “low-hater diet.” Throughout the 15 tracks in the deluxe edition, there are recurring themes of empowerment and self-love. For example, she preaches self-worth on the Caribbean soca hit Better, starts a foot-stomping soul revival on I Love Me, and gets her lady squad on the dance floor with the call-and-response song Woman Up.

Though the album’s weakest tracks include generic attempts at tropical house (Champagne Problems) and a contemporary Cha Cha Slide (Dance Like Yo Daddy), Trainor excels lyrically on the pared-down ballads Kindly Calm Me Down and Hopeless Romantic. Her personality and dynamic vocals go a long way in selling a song, so the latter in particular shows that she doesn’t need to try to manufacture what she believes mainstream radio listeners want to hear.

Like Selena Gomez’s Stars Dance and Miley Cyrus’ Bangerz, Thank You strives to be a little bit of everything and, regrettably, falls short. However, it bodes well for Trainor’s future as she refines her voice in preparation for what should be more concentrated endeavours in the future.

Listen to Megan Trainor’s Thank You and let us know what you think

 

Megan Trainor’s Thank You’s Tracklist

YouTube